A few weeks back, we had dinner at JBar with some friends (www.janos.com).   I always enjoy the chance to sample some of Janos uniquely accented dishes in a casual atmosphere.  As is turns out three of the four of us ordered the Shrimp Mojo de Ajo. 

Always interested by new wines, we asked the sommelier, Desiree, for ideas.  She shared with us that Janos had a Brooks Riesling 2007 from the Willamette Valley whose claim to fame was that it was poured for President Obama at a dinner recently.  We figured that if was good enough for the President……you know the rest.  We all knew that with the wine originating in Oregon, not expect that steely acidity, citrus fruit and minerality that usually accompanies German and Alsatian Rieslings.  The wine was opened a little before dinner served which offered us the chance to sample it.  The color was light gold, a little darker than its European cousin but it was its aroma and flavor profile that caught all of us off guard.  There was a somewhat hidden nose of lemon and pineapple fruit, unexpectedly soft citrus flavors in the mouth and a hint of petrol.  We had to dig for the aromas, sniffing a few times, giving our nose a break and then sniffing again.  There was a pleasant soft sense of sweetness to the wine along with a hint of acidity.  Overall, the wine almost seemed to be hiding something that it just didn’t want to give up.

We looked at one another, our eyes searching for feedback when I blurted out “ this tastes like a California Sauvignon Blanc.”  Most of us agreed.  Shortly thereafter, our dishes arrived and we proceeded to consume food and wine.  Throughout the dinner, all of us commented that while the wine was ok, it just didn’t shine.

The next day, I emailed Janos to relay our experience with the wine.  The consummate diplomat that he is, he responded at length, carefully addressing my comments without judgment.  Interestingly enough, his first take on the wine was similar to ours………the fruit was a bit too subtle and in fact next to a Monchhof Kabinett German Riesling, it paled.  However, and this is where his long history as a cook and intimate recollection of flavor profiles comes into play, something continued to intrigue him about the wine.  A few days later, he took some of the wine home and with some friends paired a Crudo of Hamachi with edamame, fine julienne of apples and radishes tossed in a fermented fish sauce, lime, sugar, walnut oil and more, topped with roasted Macadamia nuts.  You probably can figure out what happened here.  The wine came to life, its acidity now cutting through the rich fat of the fish and the fruit intermingling seamlessly with the apples and radishes.  In essence, he found the perfect match for the wine.

There’s lesson to be shared here, one that I have to be reminded of every so often.  A wine is like a living, breathing entity that changes its character during its barrel, bottle and decanter life, changing still again depending upon what foods and accents interplay.  In our instance, the wine was unremarkable when paired with the shrimp dish.  Yet Janos’ intimate knowledge of his dishes flavor profile kept the wine in the game until he had the opportunity to test out his suspicion that it would work with the Hamachi.  The more you cook and understand your flavor profiles, the better the chances that you’ll hone in on the ideal match.  Kind of reminds me of what happens if you try to take every girl to the big dance.  While the first is shy and uncomfortable, reticent to hold your hand or move her feet to the music and blending into the night, the second is a natural, moving with ease and capturing every beat, repackaging it into energetic shards of dazzling light.

Tags: Janos and J-Bar, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc